A great thriller, but I found the subject matter of abuse very hard to read (Although it is very well written adn well addressed)

A very difficult court case.

Audrey and her sister Joan had been evacuated from London during WW2 to a private school Lancelot Andrewes, a Church of England Boarding School near Ely in Cambridgeshire. Their parents had died in a raid, and as the girls had no other living relatives, they remained at the school until they completed their education.

After marrying, Audrey returns to the area with her husband, and as she is the deputy administrator for the diocese, her daughter, Emily can attend the school with a special bursary given to employees. All goes well until suddenly there is a massive change in Emily's behaviour and she tells her parents that she has been sexually abused by men wearing masks.

This news opens a floodgate of recovered memory for Audrey and goes a long way to explain why her sister had committed suicide. Fr Gerrard, a highly respected member of the church, had singled Audrey out when she was aged between seven and twelve to be molested by men, and now all these years later, he’s done the same to her daughter.

This is one of the most harrowing books I’ve ever read. It deals with the court case where Emily and Audrey are the main witnesses against not only Fr Gerrard but some very prominent members of society. They were not the only two girls abused but trying to get others who had also been abused, to come forward proved to be an uphill battle.

The case took place in the 1970s when recovered memories were only just beginning to be understood and when people in “high places” were able to hide their depraved behaviour far easier than now. Of course, as mentioned by the author Peter Murphy, the floodgates of abuse carried out not only in the Anglican Church, and dare I say especially the Roman Catholic church had not yet been opened. There was a trickle of cases that led to more and more people coming forward, and accusations of this type of institutionalised abuse started grabbing the headlines. The laws at the time weren't conducive to helping the victims

Will we ever uncover the full extent of the abuse that happened behind the closed doors of convents, or priests abusing their young parishioners, or babies snatched from their unmarried mothers? Will all the abusers ever be brought to trial? I think that as the title of the book says (there’s one law for them) and there’s one law for the rest of us.

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

When I first read the synopsis for this book I was a little unsure given the subject matter of child abuse, reading further on in the synopsis gave indications of things I do like to read about. So it gave a balance that appealed to me and I decided to give it a go and I am so glad I did.

Initially there are two cases with this story, one from the 1940’s and one from the 1970’s. Audrey was sent to a boarding school during the blitz in the 40’s. While there she was abused but she cannot remember anything about it, her mind has blocked it out. When Emily tells her mum that she has been abused, Audrey’s memories suddenly come rushing back.

The story gradually tells the memories of Audrey and also her daughter as a trial starts. Witnesses, evidence, investigations and information gathering add to the courtroom process. This is not however a straightforward case as implications are far reaching. Manipulation and attempts to cover up and protect the guilty are rife.

This is not a single plot book, though it’s focus is on the mother and daughter case. There are many other things in the background and other characters make their presence felt. This book made my blood boil at times as I followed the interviews and trials.

This author has a lot of experience given his legal background, in this book it really shows. I did however feel that at times some of the protocols and processes were a little too much. I understand the importance of showing all the steps involved in a trial, with all the legal wranglings and decision making, but at times I did feel t slowed the story down occasionally. On the plus side it really did give an insightful glimpse into the traditions, wordings and requirements required in law.

At times this was a hard read, the scenes describing the abuse were uncomfortable, but they were not numerous ans were not glorified or dwelt upon too much. The main focus was on the fight for justice.

This story is a serious legal court room read, there are various legal aspects that are intense, it follows the fight for justice. This is a book I would recommend to people who prefer a more legally technical fiction read rather than a fast paced thriller. It is one I would definitely recommend.

This is a terrific legal thriller, set in a 1970s Britain that encapsulates the power of the establishment, political, religious, and beyond in squashing any possibility of justice in the crimes of child sexual abuse. Murphy's novel takes into account the shortcomings of the law, and the harrowing experiences of victims driven to despair at being silenced and ignored. Audrey Marshall is taking a stand, her young daughter, Emily, was a boarder at the Church school of Lacelot Andrewes School, near Ely in Cambridgeshire, run by Father Desmond Gerrard as headmaster since 1936. Father Gerrard takes a girl in her nightdress from the dormitories and makes her available to his male guests to sexually abuse in his private library at night. These men prefer girls between the ages of 7-12 years of age, and Emily was one of the many girls abused in this way.

Audrey attended the same Church school as Emily, with her older sister, Joan, as girls orphaned when their parents were killed in the London Blitz in WW2, given places by the Church as an act of charity. Audrey is traumatised when her suppressed memories surface, revealing that she too had been sexually abused as a child in the 1940s. Despite knowing what she is up against, Audrey and Emily want justice, and to this end, hire well known and experienced solicitor, Julia Cathermole, who will do her utmost to help them. In a story of twists, Audrey is tested to her limits but inspired by the courage of little Emily as she persists in her struggle to get justice as at every turn, her hopes are dashed. She is helped and supported by her loyal husband, Ken, and her committed prosecuting team of barristers, Ben Schroeder and Ginny Castle. Further support is provided by Andrew Pilkington, senior prosecuting counsel at the Old Bailey, John Carwell, deputy director at the office of DPP, and police officers DI Steffi Walsh and DI Ted Phillips.

Murphy gives us a tense and thrilling novel that could only have been written by an experienced member of the legal profession, full of informative details of the law, with an intimate portrayal of the judicial process in 1970s Britain. It charts some of the obstacles that faced Audrey and Emily, such as the problems associated with recovered memories, the laws on corroboration and regarding children as not competent when serving as witnesses. Thankfully, much has changed since then, and whilst it is by no means easy getting justice today, there have been changes for the better within the police and the law, with a much better informed public after the numerous scandals on child sexual abuse that have come to light in our recent history. Murphy immerses the reader in the entire legal process in this heartbreaking, utterly compelling and brilliant look at an issue where victims were often not believed in this historical time period and perpetrators escaped justice with ease. This is gripping legal fiction based on the realities of the law in this period of time and the emotional traumas faced by the huge number of child victims throughout their lives. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Oldcastle Books for an ARC.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Oldcastle Books, No Exit Press and Peter Murphy for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of One Law For The Rest Of Us.
I had to stay up last night to read this book. I had difficulty in putting it down once I started reading. It was an incredible storyline that was extremely well written. I experienced so many emotions while reading it and is something that will stay with me for a long time to come.